Bauer Farm development

Now that a plan for a new Wal-Mart store in northwest Lawrence is moving forward again, activity is starting to pick back up on the intersection's other major development proposal.

Lawrence architect Michael Treanor said city commissioners soon will see new plans for the Bauer Farm development, which seeks to put a mix of retail, offices and residential units on the northeast corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. That places it across the street from a proposed Wal-Mart store that received Planning Commission approval last week.

The Wal-Mart store - which has been fought by neighbors for nearly five years - still must receive approval from city commissioners. But Treanor is excited that plans for the mega-retailer are moving forward.

"If we could have the big, comparison-shopping anchor, Wal-Mart, on one corner, then on our side we would have more of the specialty stores, lifestyle, pedestrian-oriented shopping," Treanor said. "We think it would be a good mix."

The Bauer Farm development, which would have a mix of about 220 homes and apartments along with a retail area, has been billed as the city's first significant foray into the concept of New Urbanism or Traditional Neighborhood Design. That means the project will feature narrower streets, homes with alleys, and a business district that mixes retail, office and residential uses like a mini-downtown.

"It is a little bit more like the traditional neighborhoods around downtown," Treanor said.

Treanor said he would like to start moving dirt for the project in late fall, with construction beginning in early 2008. Treanor has touted the project to city leaders for the last three years. The project received the necessary rezoning approval in January 2006, but it has been slow moving because potential retail tenants wanted to know whether Wal-Mart would be on the opposite corner, Treanor said.

"We had to have an answer to that question," Treanor said.

The project, though, is tentatively scheduled to go before city commissioners again on Aug. 14. Treanor will be asking commissioners to allow for more retail space than previously approved and to lift conditions that prohibit liquor stores and businesses that sell liquor-by-the-drink.

Treanor wants commissioners to allow 72,000 square feet of retail space in the development, up from 62,000 square feet that has been approved. Treanor said the intersection can handle the additional retail because the proposed Wal-Mart store is significantly smaller than what traffic designers previously planned for.

On the liquor issues, Treanor said that he saw no reason to prohibit liquor stores or restaurants that sell liquor from the development. The conditions were placed on the plan by a previous Planning Commission as a last-minute addition, Treanor said, presumably because of its proximity to Free State High School.

Planning staff members are recommending approval of the liquor changes. The development meets the state liquor requirements for being the necessary distance away from schools.

"Any liquor store operator in that location is going to be more cognizant of young people rather than less cognizant," Treanor said. "If you're going to have a neighborhood, we just feel you should have a place to go walk to and buy a bottle of wine."

Planning commissioners already have recommended approval of the liquor changes and the increase in retail space.

"I think this is probably the most exciting real estate development I've seen in about a half century of living here," said Planning Commissioner Joe Harkins. "I would like to do whatever I can, within reason, to help it succeed."

I really hate to see such a big retail center in such a nice area of town. The worst part will be when the Wal-Mart gets the go-ahead, but has to have a reduced amount of retail space. You still have all the retail development, but - just like Home Depot and Best Buy now - the stores are so small that they never have (or are out of) the one item you do want.

This would actually be an Incredible idea if there was Not a second Walmart being built next to it. Instead of putting up the Walmart they should just expand this project over the entire site. New Urbanism neighborhoods are critical to the future of city planning in order to recreate towns and cities that are based on walking communities and not suburban sprawl that relies on automobiles.

New Urbanism is a critical element of how we can start to prepare ourselves for the transition of Peak Oil. These small village concept will have to be implemented to allow folks to rely less on automotive means of transportation. Also New Urbanism is one of the few things that individual communites can do to combat Peak Oil.

In defense of Bozo, there are currently two mobile home parks within near proximity of the current Walmart. Also, Walmart tends to employ lower wage earners so it might be more convenient to recruit employees if the store is located in a low to middle income neighborhood. Just a thought.

If and when all of this new retail actually is built what's going to happen to all of the older retail at 31st and Iowa? Who are the tenants in this so called "New Urbanism"? New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Design are not the same as far as I can tell. For one thing TDN is about "row housing" and narrow streets. Narrow streets are traffic calmers according to what I heard. TDN is also a lot about infill not sprawl.

Some say build it and they will come. That may be true about roadways but not about retail dollars of which are in limited supply in this town of about 85,000...sometimes that is. Not only that I read Sunday that the housing market in general is still up for a very rough time for a few years. Foreclosures are up in a big way.

When I lived in a trailer, I STILL didn't shop at Wal-Mart. Of course, I was always more more partial to cinder blocks, 2X10s, and "borrowed" milk crates rather than the plastic Chinese crap peddled by Sam.

Anyway, this new urbanism scheme would be a lot more credible if it was used to revitalize our dying city center (say around East Heights or along the student ghetto) rather than increase the cancerous spread of unsustainable sprawl.

"458casul (Anonymous) says:
MERRIL why is everything doom and gloom with you not just one day a week but 24/7 you need a gun"

I am concerned for the retailers in this town who have spent their money and provided jobs only to watch Lawrence city government show its' appreciation with a "whatever happens" attitude.
Now after being affected by this or observing from elsewhere would you want to locate a business in Lawrence? knowing that city,county and local chamber cater to the development industry? knowing there is no support for the efforts in a community that is designated as over saturated in retail by 30% and over built in residential? Small business people cannot afford this. Larger corporations will only provide downsized stores with limited selections.

"Baille (Anonymous) says:
When I lived in a trailer, I STILL didn't shop at Wal-Mart. Of course, I was always more more partial to cinder blocks, 2X10s, and "borrowed" milk crates rather than the plastic Chinese crap peddled by Sam."

In my experience with trailer parks (mainly Kansas small towns), I've witnessed racist, crank heads who live off the government b/c they can't support their 5 kids who are all one year apart. These people also shop at Wal-Mart b/c of the cheap goods and the fact that Wal-Mart crushed all the competition in town so there are no choices.

If not wanting to associate with these people makes me an elitist, so be it.

"So, if I like to smoke a little meth, congregate with caucasians, live in a trailer park and buy cheap wares at Wal-Mart, that makes me lesser of an American?"

Guess that would depend on who you were comparing yourself to, wouldn't it?

I would say that it would make you a better American than say, Sean "You're-a-great-American-all-my-corporate-sponsors-need-is-three-hours-a-day-every-day" Hannity, but beyond that I would have to wait and see.

Dunno, RT. While a social safety net and recognition of addiction as a public health issue inures to all our benefit whether you as an individual will benefit and achieve "full functionality" is a combined question of qualities inherent to the individual, the scope and nature of the self-destruction, available formal and informal social support systems, and...chance.

Frankly the suggestion that only liberals think they know what is best for others is facetious at best. While everyone in a social collective has a right and responsibility to help define and shape the forces that impact our lives, I have found it is most often the self-labeled conservatives that seek to define and shape the forces that have no direct impact on anyone but the individuals being constrained.

In other words (to descend for a moment into the quagmire of gross generalizations), while the liberals want to meddle in the boardrooms and backrooms of corporations and local government and they want to regulate the activities of the individual that necessarily impact the community, it is the conservatives that want to meddle in the bedrooms and bathrooms of the individual and regulate activities that impact only the individual.

Of course those who live in trailer parks are inferior. It is simple free-market capitalism. If those in trailer homes were smart and motivated, they would get better jobs, make more money, and move into a big old house out on 6th and Wakarusa.

As most good conservatives realize, there are inherent differences between individuals, and the free market places individuals in society by their intelligence and talent.